Since 1870, rainbow trout have been widely spread though out the United States. Their native range is in cold, pacific coast tributaries of Asia, Russia, and North America. The largest Montana rainbow trout are caught in reservoirs or move as they out of rivers to feed or spawn (much like in Alaska).
Rainbows are aggressive predators with a varied diet and will eat just about anything, depending on the available food source. They are not quite as aggressive a predator as brown trout. However, in many cases, a rainbow trout will fight harder than a brown trout, making them a great sport fish to target on the fly.
We generally fish with a four, five, or six weight fly rod, depending on the rainbow size targeted and the water volume. When at all possible, our team enjoys sight-fishing a dry-fly or streamer for big rainbows.
